I went to Seneca Falls to visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. I sat in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which was the site of the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention that Elizabeth Cady Staton read the Declaration of Sentiments (a must read IMHO). I could feel the presence of all those women before me who helped pave the way for women’s rights. Wow!
I stayed and discovered that my ancestor, Henry Palmer Westcott (1808-1896) started up the Westcott Rule Company in this city. I bet you all had a Westcott ruler at some point in your life. The Seneca Falls Visitor Center had a whole corner dedicated to Westcott. They also directed me to the factory building, now converted to apartments.
The icing on the cake was discovering that Seneca Falls was an inspiration for the town Bedford Falls in the movie: It’s a Wonderful Life. I visited the “It’s a Wonderful Life Museum. Each year, the town celebrates with an It’s A Wonderful Life Festival the second weekend in December. They directed me to the bridge that was the inspiration for the Bridge George Bailey jumped off to save Clarence.
Footloose & Fancy Free 